Paradox
by Endless Void
Summary: Kagome must deal with the repercussions of making a wish which inadvertantly alters the future, but to set things right, will she have to change the past as well?
1. History Rewritten

**Disclaimer:** Don't own any of the Inuyasha characters nor am I making any dosh from my incessant ramblings, so please don't sue the crazy woman, okay?

**Author Notes:** Hey all! Some of you may have already read this under my previous penname of DragynFyre. I'm in the process of editing the first few chapters to take into account changes I've made to the overall plot; therefore, some of the content here is new while some remains the same.

Also, in response to my first reviewer Cold Demon Lord (thank you very much!) - the changes affect certain gray / awkward areas of the plot while the original pairings remain unchanged. As was the case with the first draft, this fic is intended as a continuation of the canon universe plotline, a sort of 'The jewel's complete, sowhat happens next?' scenario with Inu / Kag as the main pairing and some snippets of Mir / San.

For any of you who read the first posting of "Paradox", I hope that you would be kind enough to give it another go and perhaps let me know what you think of the revised version.

For those who are new to me and my writing, I recommend leaving all rational thoughts at the door as I welcome you to my insane little world!

**_Paradox_**

**_Chapter 1: History Rewritten_**

* * *

It was finally over. 

Gazing bleary eyed around the corpse strewn battlefield, Kagome wiped a weary hand across her brow, grimacing at the gritty feel of her grime covered face. She was beyond exhausted, her legs trembling slightly from the effort of remaining upright. Her bow hung limply from her left hand, the muscles in her arm aching terribly from having fired an unknown number of arrows. The quiver pulled heavily at her shoulders even though it was now empty.

Inuyasha was a few yards away from her, bent down over a pair of dusty red hakamas and a white haori, his eyes wet with unshed tears. Kikyo had finally been laid to rest, her clay and bone body destroyed by one of Naraku's tentacles. It happened not long before the final fight ended and the affect her second death had on Inuyasha had nearly cost them the battle. Particularly intent on finishing off the reanimated miko, Naraku had concentrated his attacks on her as Kikyo sent one purifying arrow after another into the writhing mass of tentacles composing his body. As she rapidly depleted her supply, Naraku had waited for the opportunity to strike. When her hand reached back one last time to grasp nothing but air, he had struck with a vengeance.

The tentacle had pierced her body through the stomach, the grotesquely twisting appendage gleefully breaking her body apart and scattering her remains to the wind. The souls which had been trapped inside had floated eerily up into the air before disappearing in tiny flashes of blue. At the same time, the small portion of Kagome's soul providing Kikyo with the ability to live had slammed fiercely back into the younger girl's body, sending her flying backwards to land heavily on the ground.

Inuyasha had cried out in anguish, his eyes flashing red as he yelled. "Kikyo! No!"

Distracted by the horrifying sight of Kikyo's rapidly crumbling form, Naraku had lashed out with another tentacle that threw the hanyou into the trunk of a nearby tree, temporarily knocking him unconscious.

Hearing Inuyasha's tortured cry, Kagome had risen to her feet, her steely blue eyes filled with grim determination. With the missing portion of her soul returned to her, she had been consumed by the intense hatred which had driven Kikyo for so long; a cold, burning fury that had made her heart clench painfully in her chest. Notching another arrow to her bow, she had allowed that rage to flow through her as her body began to glow a vibrant purple. Pouring every ounce of her being into the projectile, she had aimed at Naraku's chest, offering a silent prayer that her aim would be true.

Taking a deep breath, she had let her arrow fly.

Iridescent red-violet light had formed around the speeding arrow, turning into a comet tail of brilliant energy. The arrow had struck Naraku just below his right breast, sinking deep into his pulsating flesh. The hanyou had screamed in agony as the purifying light engulfed his body, turning muscle and bone instantly into ash. Pulsating darkly with the fading remnants of his evil will, the completed Shikon no Tama which Naraku had swallowed to increase his power fell harmlessly to the ground.

It was towards this that Kagome found herself inexorability moving, the irresistible pull of the stone's power calling out to her. She could feel the evil aura still clinging to it, the energy having a foul, oily quality that slid unpleasantly along her skin. When she was a foot away from where the jewel lay atop a small pile of ash, she stopped, warily staring at the smoothly polished stone which gleamed wickedly as if taunting her. Her attention fully captured by the sparkling crystal, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Miroku suddenly spoke beside her.

"Kagome-sama? Are you all right?" Turning her head to meet the monk's deep purple gaze, Kagome offered him a weak smile while nodding her head.

"Umm, I guess. Just a bit tired." Her voice cracked as she spoke, belying the calmness which she was trying to affect in her tone.

Miroku gazed at her for a moment with a considering look that said he didn't quite believe her before turning towards the Shikon no Tama lying near their feet. The dark aura surrounding the jewel was making him lightheaded and he didn't dare to touch it, knowing that he would be unable to stave off its corrupting influence. Kagome was the only one who could purify the lingering traces of evil; yet, she seemed hesitant to touch it as well.

Since the young miko seemed incapable of rousing herself to action, Miroku gently cleared his throat and said. "Ah, perhaps we should remove ourselves from this place and set up camp for the night. Sango's injuries need to be tended as well."

Again nodding her head, Kagome mechanically reached for the Shikon no Tama and was relieved to see the color change from sickly black to a muddy brown before brightening to a soft pastel pink. Holding the warm crystal in her hand, she could no longer detect Naraku's taint on the stone; instead it filled her with a calming energy that miraculously quieted any concerns she might have had. Dropping the jewel into the pocket of her skirt, a genuine smile lit her features as the reality of their situation sank in.

It was finally over.

* * *

Sango was in pretty bad shape. Fortunately, none of her wounds were life threatening though it would be a while before the taijiya was hoisting her Hiraikotsu around. Her right leg was broken and she probably had some cracked ribs from when Kirara had been knocked from the sky by one of Naraku's tentacles and they had landed against a boulder. Miroku and Kagome were able to bind her chest and set her leg with some splints and bandages from Kagome's first aid kit. The monk then left Kagome to finish dressing the remaining wounds while he and Shippo went to gather more wood for the fire and hopefully some food. 

The campsite which they had chosen was accessible to a nearby stream and easily defendable. One side butted up against a sheer, rocky cliff, the grassy clearing was set on a small rise and offered a clear view of anyone approaching from the surrounding forest. As night approached, the fading sun hung tenaciously to the horizon with slender fingers of reddish gold light; stretching before it a hazy veil of bluish pink as protection against the encroaching darkness.

Not long after they had set up camp, Inuyasha had disappeared into the forest with Kikyo's clothes and Kagome watched him go with sad eyes, presuming that he was going to bury them and say his final farewells. Her only other companion at the moment was Kouga who had decided to stay the night with them rather than make the long journey back to his clan's den. The wolf demon had proven to be loyal to their cause and offered his valuable assistance even after he had given up his shards to reform the jewel. Kagome considered him a dear friend and she was glad to have his company as she cared for the taijiya.

"What are you going to do now, Kagome?" His deep voice carried softly across the clearing to her and Kagome paused in wrapping another layer of bandages around Sango's torso to consider her reply.

They had waited so long for this day to come, wondering how it would all end and now that the moment was here, she really wasn't sure anymore what she wanted to do. The most likely scenario would be that she would return to her time and continue to live her life as she had before she came to the Sengoku Jidai. As much as she wished that she could stay here with her friends, and more importantly with Inuyasha, she knew that this wasn't her true time and she would eventually have to return to the present permanently.

Pasting a smile on her face, she replied with forced cheeriness. "I guess I'll go home first. My family is probably worried about me since I haven't been back in over six weeks and I'm sure that I'm so far behind at school that it will take me the rest of the year to catch up."

Kouga could see the pain glimmering in her eyes and felt his own heart tighten as she tried to pretend that her heart wasn't breaking. He had seen the way she kept glancing in the direction Inuyasha had gone as she treated the other girl and he could smell the saltiness which permeated her normally sweet scent. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy and he suspected that she had been crying when she left the camp earlier to attend a call of nature. And while she had technically answered his question, she hadn't given him the answer he wanted most. He needed to know if she was going to stay with her friends or Inuyasha. If she had said she was going to stay with her friends, maybe, just maybe, he might find a way to win her over from the inu-hanyou.

Kouga was just about to ask Kagome if she would elaborate on her answer when Sesshoumaru swept silently into the clearing. Having put aside his feud with his younger brother, the taiyoukai had become an unexpected ally, his hatred for Naraku far outweighing his feelings for his sibling. Drawn willingly at first into the fray with Naraku's scheming to pit brother against brother, his attitude had changed significantly after he reluctantly adopted the young human girl he had revived with Tenseiga. Rin had been a powerful influence in changing his opinion of the human race in general and without the added advantage Sesshoumaru's participation had offered, the balance of power would have been tipped in Naraku's favor.

Casting cold, golden eyes over the tableau of the wolf demon attempting to attract the undivided attention of the young miko, Sesshoumaru barely contained his snort of disgust. He had seen enough in the past few weeks to know that the wolf was helplessly infatuated with the human girl. Not that the wolf made any attempts to hide his feelings, frequently declaiming his love at a near shout, especially when Inuyasha happened to be within hearing distance. His efforts were futile though since the miko often paid the ookami little heed, not even noticing his presence whenever his idiot brother was around.

Yet, despite this, the wolf demon stubbornly chose to remain blind to the obvious. After witnessing only a handful of interactions between his brother and the human girl, Sesshoumaru had no trouble ascertaining exactly where the girl's affections lay. Hell, even that kitsune brat knew the miko was hopelessly in love with Inuyasha. That the stupid wolf didn't simply give up showed just how simple minded he was.

Much to the taiyoukai's chagrin, he knew precisely how deep the girl's affections ran given the monk's, taijiya's and kitsune's frequent discussions. Sesshoumaru had also seen enough to know that his brother definitely reciprocated the girl's feelings though he tried hard not to show it. That thought brought a small smirk to the demon lord's lips. Inuyasha was about as eloquent in expressing his emotions as a bull parading through a shrine and the girl would likely die of old age before the hanyou got up the courage to tell her how he felt. At least the wolf had the confidence to speak of his feelings, although his sickeningly sweet declarations frequently turned Sesshoumaru's stomach.

Ignoring the scathing look the wolf shot him for interrupting, the demon lord strode purposefully over to a large oak tree and gracefully sat down, settling his back against the trunk and calmly watched the unfolding drama with a healthy measure of cynicism. The miko was busily working on cleaning the numerous cuts and scrapes the taijiya had suffered, her teeth unconsciously worrying her bottom lip as she concentrated on the task. Adding to Sesshoumaru's increasing amusement, she appeared to be giving the wolf demon only half an ear as he began speaking again.

"Will you come back after you see your family?" Kouga tried to keep his tone even, but there was still a slightly pleading note tingeing his words.

Paying closer attention to the wound she was cleaning, Kagome vaguely replied. "Umm, I hope so. I'm not sure when though."

Unsatisfied with that explanation, Kouga's impatience prompted him to get up from his seat on the other side of the fire to go crouch beside Kagome, his shoulder brushing hers lightly. When she didn't immediately acknowledge him, he exasperatedly caught her hand, forcing her to stop what she was doing and look up at him in surprise.

Blue-gray met startling blue as Kagome felt a lump develop in her throat when she saw his earnest expression. His intense, searching gaze piercing her, he fervently clasped her hand to his chest and taking a deep shuddering breath, he whispered. "Kagome, I need to know if you are coming back or not."

She knew what he was asking her, knew that he would always be there for her no matter who she chose, but she also knew that she couldn't promise him something that could never be. Not even for Inuyasha could she stay in the Sengoku Jidai and that thought alone was enough to bring fresh tears to her eyes. With a hoarse cry, she flung herself into his strong arms and giving in to the anguish she was trying so hard to suppress, she sobbed wretchedly. "Kouga-kun, I don't want to go. I don't want to leave everyone, but I can't stay in this time. It's impossible."

Startled to find a weeping Kagome clinging desperately to him, Kouga could only hold her awkwardly as her delicate frame shuddered with each hiccupping breath. Uncertain what exactly he should do and having little experience in dealing with weeping females, he warily rubbed slow circles on her back to soothe her, hoping that the action would calm her like it did a whining wolf cub. A delicate cough alerted him to the fact that the taiyoukai was bemusedly watching the exchange and above Kagome's head, Kouga fixed the arrogant inu youkai with a hard glare.

Sesshoumaru's face remained impassive though a fractional narrowing of his eyes indicated he was displeased by the other demon's impertinent behavior. The only reason he tolerated the wolf's lingering presence was because he provided some entertainment when he and Inuyasha engaged in a round of insult trading that would eventually cease when the miko sat' the hanyou. That little trick of hers had supplied Sesshoumaru with a great deal of amusement these last couple of weeks and he had enjoyed watching his brother's face being ground into the dirt on each occasion. However, as much as he enjoyed seeing his obnoxious brother taken down a peg or two by a slip of a human, the mangy wolf also needed to remember his place. That he would dare to incite a taiyoukai such as Sesshoumaru's wrath showed just how stupid the ookami demon was.

Ironically, their present situation brought to light that there really wasn't any reason for the demon lord to remain with the motley group either. He had duties which needed to be attended to and obligations as the Lord of the Western Lands that he could no longer neglect. With Naraku defeated, the retribution Sesshoumaru's honor had demanded for the dark hanyou's transgressions had been satisfied. Thus, he no longer had that excuse to delay his departure, so then what other reason did he have?

With a subtle shift of his eyes from the wolf to the trembling figure in his arms, the demon lord had his answer. Outspoken, ridiculously stubborn and with an explosive temper that could rival Inuyasha's, the miko was a mystery that puzzled him greatly.

For starters, she didn't dress like other humans and her absurdly revealing clothing was far removed from the demure yukatas or kimonos most women wore. Bordering on being scandalous, the short green and white outfit was made from a soft fabric that was surprisingly sturdy for it withstood quite a bit of wear and tear and the dye didn't fade despite repeated washing. He had often wondered if this was due to the strange chemical he could smell wafting up from the material whenever she had returned from one of her brief sojourns home.

In fact, the girl possessed a number of odd chemical mixtures which he had great difficulty identifying. His interest piqued, he had questioned her about them one evening. Once she had gotten over her initial shock, she was clearly delighted by his interest and without further prompting, had plunked a hard case full of strange medicines between them. Eagerly showing him the various ointments, creams and bottles of pills contained therein, she had spoken at great length about how they cured sicknesses, prevented infection and helped wounds to heal faster.

The longer she talked; an activity which he had regrettably learned the young miko was quite fond of, it became clear that her knowledge of human illnesses and treatment of wounds was impressive, certainly greater than any other human he had previously encountered. Thus, he couldn't help wondering why her skill with herbs and herbal remedies was so sadly lacking. From what he knew of them, most priestesses received thorough training on herb properties and their preparation since they often worked as healers within villages.

Which brought to mind another dichotomy; the girl was clearly well educated, much more so than her role as a priestess would require. In addition to her studies in chemistry, mathematics and biology, she could read, write and speak at least two languages with remarkable fluency. Considering humans were predominantly illiterate, her achievements were rather remarkable which he concluded was in part due to a dedication that bordered on obsession. Every spare moment they had away from chasing the dark hanyou or battling his detachments, the girl would spend engrossed in the strange tomes she toted around with her in an oversized yellow pack.

His lips twitched every so slightly in amusement.

The unwieldy, garishly colored monstrosity housed an array of foreign objects, some of which were impossible to identifying, as well as a seemingly never ending supply of Inuyasha's favorite food, ramen. Packaged in little containers made from a material similar to the medicine box, the young miko would simply add hot water to the dried contents and in minutes, a steaming noodle soup was ready to be consumed. Though it smelled appetizing enough, he had been reluctant to ingest the oddly prepared food, but forced himself to eat some in order to get the miko to stop her incessant pleading. Expecting the worst, he had been surprised by how good it tasted and had readily accepted the second portion offered by the smiling girl with a small smile of his own.

As soon as he realized what he had done, he had been both deeply confused by his uncharacteristic behavior and somewhat amazed that the unusual miko had managed to elicit such a response. From that moment onward, he had determined that any human who could garner such a reaction from him bore further scrutiny and he would continue to suffer his brother's company until such a time as he gained the answers he sought.

Eventually the miko's weeping subsided and as she awkwardly began to extricate herself from the wolf's embrace, Sesshoumaru decided he wanted an explanation as to what she had meant when she said _'she couldn't stay in this time'_. That simple statement had said far more about her than her odd behaviors and unusual possessions combined. She rarely spoke of her village in anything more than vague references and when asked about its location, she would immediately reply that it was 'not far from Inuyasha's forest'. Ironically, he could detect no falsehood in her pat responses, but it was painfully obvious that her answers were merely half-truths. The handful of times he had pressed her for more information, he had sensed a power in her that was far greater than that possessed by the reanimated miko and couldn't help wondering if this was the key to solving the riddle of her origins.

Sitting back on her heels, her face tearstained and flushed with embarrassment, Kagome gave Kouga a watery smile as she apologized. "Gomen, I didn't mean to cry all over you."

Kouga grinned at her in a way that said he hadn't minded at all and would have backed it up with words if Sesshoumaru's icy tone hadn't cut in. "Why can you not _stay in this time'_, miko?"

Startled by unexpected sound of the demon lord's sharp voice, Kagome hastily whirled to face him, a strangled squeak rising from her suddenly constricted throat. Swallowing nervously, she started to speak then hesitated as she slowly replayed his question in her head. Inuyasha and the others had warned her to not speak about the well with either Sesshoumaru or Kouga as they didn't know how the demons would react to the news that she was from the future. Realizing she must look ridiculous with her mouth hanging open, she snapped it shut with an audible click as she attempted to formulate a suitable reply.

Until now, she had never been in a position where she was alone with either of the full-blooded youkai and had always had her friends to back her up if she couldn't come up with something plausible. But, with the way Sesshoumaru was staring at her, an indecipherable expression on his face, Kagome felt a frisson of fear that if he didn't like her answer, he might try force the truth out of her. Since Inuyasha, Miroku or even Shippo hadn't made it back yet and Sango was still out cold, Kagome didn't know how long she needed to stall before help arrived.

Stammering, she tried to draw out her response as much as possible. "Uh, actually, what I meant to say was that I couldn't stay this time'. Eheh, I guess it came out wrong, you know, since I'm a little tired and, well, probably not thinking very clearly..."

Clamping her teeth together to stop her rambling, Kagome smiled apologetically at the two demons, mentally crossing her fingers that they would buy her pathetic sounding excuse. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side. She felt her heart sink as one of Sesshoumaru's delicately arched brows rose slightly, indicating he didn't believe her for a second. A quick peek at Kouga who was giving her a skeptical look said he had also caught her gaffe.

Wringing her hands before her, her ears straining for some sign that one of her friends was returning, Kagome anxiously hedged. "Ah, I mean, I have to go back because I belong with my family now, well, at least until I finish school that is."

Hitting slightly closer to the truth this time, she was relieved to see Kouga's stiff posture relax a little, probably drawing the conclusion that once she 'finished school' then she would be able come back. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, was still eyeing her intently and Kagome couldn't stop herself from squirming under his probing gaze.

Although he could tell the girl was not lying, the demon lord again sensed a deeper meaning in her choice of words. Being privy to the strong feelings the girl harbored for his annoying sibling, Sesshoumaru knew that had she been given the choice, she would invariably remain with the hanyou. However, she had clearly said that she _'belonged'_ with her family, for a second time inferring that she was not supposed to be here in the first place.

Suspecting that he was getting somewhere in ascertaining the miko's origins, the taiyoukai was about to question the fidgeting girl further when the rising wind informed him that the monk and kitsune were returning and would soon reach the camp. Resigning himself to continuing his interrogation later, he released the miko's anxious gaze and masking his displeasure, smoothly gained his feet and headed towards the tree line. As quietly as he entered, the tall, elegant demon exited the clearing a scant second before Shippo came bounding through the underbrush followed a few moments later by Miroku.

His ecstatic voice piercing the night air, he joyfully cried. "Kagome!"

Racing across the grass, the fox demon leapt into the miko's waiting arms, a delighted laugh escaping her lips as he snuggled against her. Settling into his usual perch on the girl's shoulder, he childishly stuck his tongue out at Kouga, whom seemed a bit peeved that his time alone with Kagome was again interrupted, before he began to excitedly relay how much food they had been able to get from a nearby village. While kitsune chattered away, Kouga, seeing that the miko was no longer paying him any attention, opted to follow Sesshoumaru's lead and, with a last longing glance towards the object of his affection, disappeared into the forest.

Absently stroking the fox's tail as she listened to his banter, immensely grateful that he had saved her from Sesshoumaru's uncomfortable questions, Kagome felt a sudden pang at how much she was going to miss the little demon. Having spent almost as much time with him as she had with Inuyasha, she had grown to see the precocious kit as more than a friend. He was more like her little brother and it pained her to know that she was going to hurt him terribly when she left. He had already lost so much during his young life and she hated adding to his suffering. Feeling close to tears again, she valiantly swallowed the knot of emotion which was threatening to set her sobbing.

Miroku seemed to sense her distress and called Shippo over to help him prepare the meat for cooking. As the fox demon bounded off her lap, Kagome smiled a small smile of gratitude at the monk for his consideration which he acknowledged with a brief nod and look of understanding. Mentally shaking herself to clear her melancholy thoughts, she figured the best thing she could do was keep busy. They still had to travel a couple of more days before they reached Kaede's village and from there, the well; so, in the meantime, she would just have to occupy herself as much as possible to keep her mind off her impending departure.

With that thought in mind, she briefly smoothed her hand over Kirara's head as she lay curled against Sango's side, then set about finishing wrapping the last of the taijiya's injuries. Satisfied with her efforts, she gave the fire cat demon one last pat which earned her a soft purr in response. With a sidelong glance towards where Miroku and Shippo were working starting a small campfire, Kagome stifled a yawn, suddenly feeling tired. Recalling everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours, the defeat of Naraku being the high point, she grinned wryly when she realized she should have passed out from exhaustion hours ago.

Spotting her sleeping bag rolled up beside her backpack, she eyed the fluffy bundle with increasing interest before deciding to sneak in a quick nap until dinner was ready.

* * *

Inuyasha roughly shook her awake as another dawn edged its way along the horizon. They would reach Kaede's village later that afternoon and she would make her wish on the Shikon no Tama before she leapt one last time into the Bone Eater's well. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Kagome yawned loudly as she sat up to greet the morning. 

The company had been rather subdued these last couple of days. Though Naraku was now gone, everyone seemed to have trouble coming to grips with the fact that their adventure was now over and each could go on with their lives. The one most immediately affected by Naraku's defeat would have to be Miroku. Following the dark hanyou's demise, everyone had expected his kazaana to immediately vanish. However, the curse appeared to be working itself in reverse exactly how it had advanced, slowly. The cheerful monk didn't seem particularly worried as it apparently had started to shrink and he said he could feel that its power had lessened. The air void probably just needed some time before it disappeared completely.

On the plus side, Sango was improving at an impressive rate. Her ribs had been bruised rather than broken and the swelling on her broken leg had gone down tremendously after the first night. Insisting that she didn't want to be coddled, Inuyasha and Miroku had fashioned a makeshift pair of crutches after Kagome had explained their function. With them, the taijiya was now somewhat mobile, but her greatest challenge lay not with her physical injuries.

Fate had cruelly allowed Kohaku to die twice in his sister's arms and both times she had been unable to do anything to save him. Kagome's heart went out to her friend and she fervently wished that there had been some way she could ease Sango's suffering. As it were, the taijiya stayed fairly close to Miroku who seemed to understand her situation better than anyone. And to his credit, the monk was showing admirable restraint as he comforted the grieving girl as best he could.

In a way, they were kindred spirits. Each had lost everything they held dear to one man before fate had conspired to set them on the same path to seek their revenge. As tragic as their lives had been up until now, there was some small reassurance that, having confronted the demons of their past, the future would be brighter for both of them and they seemed inclined to approach that future together.

Watching their budding relationship grow was bittersweet for the young miko who was left lamenting her own future; one that was devoid of the people she had come to love so much.

After interring Kikyo's remains in some secret location, ensuring that no one would ever again disturb her rest, a subdued Inuyasha had returned to the campsite long after his companions had fallen asleep. Since then, he had been withdrawn and moody; his mind preoccupied with his own thoughts which he seemed unwilling to share with anyone. Kagome had tried to talk to him a couple of times, but the hanyou had stubbornly refused to answer her queries and resorted to insulting her just so she would leave him alone.

Watching Kagome slowly rise from her sleeping bag, Inuyasha was struck by how beautiful she looked even at this ungodly early hour. Her silky black hair mussed from her sleep, hung half over her face; her blue-gray eyes half-lidded as she gazed sleepily around the campsite. Raising her arms above her head, she stretched languorously like a cat, the action pressing her softly rounded breasts forward in a provocative display.

Swallowing hard at the appealing picture she made, the hanyou attempted to hide his rising arousal with a sharp rebuke. "Oi, lazy wench, can we leave before the sun is high overhead?"

Brought fully awake by the half demon's ranting, Kagome glowered at him from beneath her bangs. Definitely not in the mood to hear his insults this early in the morning, she smiled with saccharine sweetness as she slowly drawled. "Inuyasha…."

He instinctively flattened his ears against his head at her tone, dreading what was coming next.

"SIT!"

Slamming painfully head first into the ground, Inuyasha mumbled a few choice curses into the dirt as he waited for the spell to wear off. His humiliation was increased tenfold by the distinct sound of both his brother and Kouga snickering at his predicament.

Why the hell both of them were still hanging around was beyond him. Even with his not-so-subtle hints that they had overstayed their welcome, neither youkai seemed inclined to leave. As mobility returned to his limbs, he pushed himself up off of the ground to see his two least favorite traveling companions smirking wryly as he dusted himself off. With a muttered keh', he stalked over towards the tree in which he had slept last night and leapt up into the lower branches to sulk as the others set about breaking camp.

A half hour later they were ready to depart and Kagome was safely riding on his back for what would probably be the last time. The sun warmed the air around them, releasing a delicate bouquet of scents which tickled his nose, but there was only one the hanyou chose to indulge in. Cinnamon, vanilla and a hint of cherry blossom blended together to create an intoxicating aroma that had the power to sooth his very soul. Inhaling deeply, Inuyasha savored the scent which was uniquely Kagome's.

How he could have ever compared her to Kikyo was unimaginable now. When he had first met Kagome, it was true that there had been some vague similarities between her and Kikyo, but those proved to be superficial at best. Kagome had always been softer and gentler than her predecessor, her immense love and concern for her companions displayed for all to see. To him, she was simply Kagome, the woman who had somehow worked her way so deeply into his heart that the thought of losing her was almost unbearable.

Inuyasha felt his heart give a tiny stutter at the thought of not seeing Kagome again. He had tried to avoid thinking about her leaving and in the end had thought about nothing but that. As much as he wanted her to stay; as much as he needed her here with him, he knew she had to return to her time. He had been fooling himself for so long that she didn't have to leave that they would find a way for her to live here and the two of them could be together forever.

Reality had then rudely intruded on his little fantasy.

She wasn't from the same time as him. She belonged in the future with her family, friends and that infernal school she so desperately wanted to attend all of the time. Her life was there; his was here. The fact that they had met was something that should never have happened in the first place. No matter how either of them had tried to justify the reason the well had brought her here, the time they had spent together was stolen and eventually had to be given back.

So, she would go home and…well…that was it.

Kagome must have had some inkling of his thoughts for she squeezed his shoulders tighter as if in reassurance and said. "I'll never forget you. You know that, right?"

Uncertain what to say in response, he nodded, not trusting his voice to find the words for him. In mute understanding, she gave his shoulders another squeeze and lay her head against his back, treasuring their last few hours together.

* * *

They reached the village all too soon in Kagome's estimation. After a brief lunch during which they filled Kaede in on the details of the battle and mourned her sister's second passing, they could no longer put off the final event which would conclude their journey. The atmosphere was solemn as the long time companions slowly trudged through the rice fields and then Inuyasha's forest towards the clearing where everything had begun. 

Tears pricked Kagome's eyes as she spied the Goshimboku and the memory of her first encounter with Inuyasha came flooding back in vivid detail. As fresh in her mind as if it had happened only yesterday, she giggled as she recalled playing with his ears while he slept; the sound drawing Inuyasha's attention to her.

"Kagome?"

His face reflected his concern and his beautiful gold eyes shone with worry. Shaking her head slightly, her lips drew upwards into a smile as she reached out to take his hand in hers. They had fallen behind the others a little and at her insistent tug, they stopped while their friends carried on towards the well. Turning fully to face him, Kagome lowered her eyes to stare at her feet as a blush began to creep up over her cheeks. Poking the toe of her shoe into a little hole in the ground, she slowly began, "Inuyasha, do you remember the day we met?"

Nodding a little, he waited for her to continue which she did, her voice tightening with emotion. "You know, I didn't like you very much back then. I thought you were rude, arrogant selfish and irritating beyond belief."

She paused, a wistful smile playing about her lips. "And then I saw this other side to you. One which you didn't want other people to know you had. You were courageous, strong and you told me you would protect me. I think that was when I first noticed it."

Surprised by what was sounding more and more like a confession, Inuyasha could only stare at her dumbfounded as she went on to explain. "I saw you for who you were and I began to like you for the person you were trying to be. I didn't see you as a demon, a hanyou or a human, although those are all part of whom you are. I saw you as Inuyasha' and…"

She finally raised her eyes to look at him, tears sparkling along her lashes. "And, that's who I fell in love with."

The air left his lungs in a whoosh as her words hit him with a physical force all their own.

There were so many times he had wondered if the depth of her feelings mirrored his own. He had known that she considered him her best friend and somehow, she would manage to forgive his transgressions, but his uncertainty, the lingering fear of rejection, had kept him from telling her just how much she meant to him. Still, he had dared to hope that she might love him as he did her and now that he knew for certain that she did, he was elated.

Sweeping her into a crushing embrace, he held her tightly against him, his heart thundering madly as his mind raced. Over and over again, he replayed the best way to relay to her the tender words she deserved to hear for so patiently staying by his side, for loving him in spite of his flaws. His whirling thoughts created poetic metaphors, heartfelt declarations, passionate whispers; yet, he could give voice to none of them. His lips remained sealed and in an instant he remembered why he couldn't speak.

She was leaving.

With growing trepidation, he realized he would have to give her some sort of answer. And knowing he could not give her the answer she wanted, his guilt tore at him like so many knives, rending his heart asunder and leaving him feeling empty inside. Reluctantly, he loosened his hold on her and gently set her back on her feet; offering her a weak, apologetic smile as he said. "Come on, we don't want to keep the others waiting."

Hearing his casual acceptance of her declaration of love, Kagome felt like her heart was shattering. Her cheeks flaming hotly, she averted her gaze from his smiling face, feeling lower than low that she had blurted out her feelings when he obviously didn't feel the same way. Silently cursing, calling herself a hundred times a fool, she wished she could take everything back; regaining some small consolation that her love remained unrequited because he never knew how she felt.

Kami, help her. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid.

She hadn't meant to tell him. She had decided that she would return to the future without any declarations of love passing between them. She had reasoned that it would be better that way; easier for her to deal with the heartache if she didn't bare her soul. But for some reason, at that moment, with the two of them standing in the shadow of the Goshimboku, she had decided to take a chance. Love had the power to make miracles happen, or so her mother had always told her. And she had thought that it couldn't hurt to have a little faith in such a silly sentiment, had wanted to believe that he would say he loved her, too. If he had, she might have been able to keep some tiny hope alive that their love would find a way for them to be together.

But that hadn't happened.

He hadn't said anything and she felt like an utter fool for imagining that there was something more than friendship between them. Miracles didn't happen everyday, no matter how hard someone wished for them. If they did, she would have wished on every star in the sky. But, there would be no miracles in her fairy tale and love, especially one-sided love, didn't have the power to conquer all.

Disillusioned, Kagome pasted what felt like a mask of happiness on her face, burying her hurt deep beneath that shining exterior and sadly followed Inuyasha as he headed after the others.

* * *

The clearing which housed the Bone Eater's well opened before them and Kagome's heart shrank even more as the end of her adventures came into view. Almost a year had passed since that fateful day she had first fallen into the well and now she had come full circle. She had completed what she set out to do and it was time to move on to what fate had in store for her next. Her life was waiting five hundred years in the future and that was where she belonged. 

Valiantly trying to appear unfazed by the whole affair, she knew she was failing miserably as twin trails of moisture flowed unchecked down her cheeks. Hugging each of her friends in turn, her tears fell in earnest when Shippo began to wail inconsolably, begging her to not go. Kouga was strangely reserved, apparently not fully grasping what was going to happen, while Sesshoumaru watched the proceedings with discerning eyes. Offering the taiyoukai a formal bow in parting, Kagome finally turned to find Inuyasha standing between her and the well, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Are you ready to make your wish?" His voice sounded choked and Kagome could have sworn that his eyes were suspiciously moist.

Nodding, she slipped her hand into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the completed Shikon no Tama. The jewel glowed briefly with a soft pink light as she held it cupped in her hands before increasing in magnitude until the entire clearing was bathed with the warm color. A humming began in her ears, the sound deafening her to anything else, and she could feel her body grow hot. The volume increased until her entire being was vibrating and she began to lose all sense of her surroundings.

While her mind was still cognizant enough to form a thought, she made her wish.

The moment the thought was formed, the ground lurched violently beneath her feet and Kagome felt herself plummeting downwards into darkness. She had no idea which way was up and the disorientation was making her sick to her stomach. As suddenly as the feeling began it ended and she landed heavily on her hands and knees in the dirt, her breath coming in fast, panting gasps. Opening her eyes, which she had squeezed shut to help counteract the nauseating sensation falling had evoked, she looked with something akin to horror at the moist, dark earth between her fingers.

A damp, musty scent assaulted her nose, adding further proof that her eyes were not lying to her. Straining her ears, she could hear the mid-afternoon traffic trundling along the road below the shrine and even detected the faint sound of a school bell ringing in the distance. Lifting her eyes warily to look at her surroundings, she confirmed what she already knew.

She was back in the well house.

The well sat to her left, the old wood cover and sealing spells firmly in place as if neither had been removed in at least a hundred years. The door stood ajar and she could see her backpack sitting at the top of the stairs where she must have left it after entering the building. A scuffling noise drew her attention to the darkened area beneath the rickety wooden steps and two golden eyes peered back at her from the shadows.

Sitting back on her heels, she called softly. "Buyo, is that you?"

An indignant meow ensued as the multicolored cat streaked across the floor towards her. Butting his head against her thigh, she reached down to scratch behind his ears wondering what in the world had happened to her. Buyo purred in delight at the attention, rubbing himself along her leg. It was then that Kagome noticed her skirt was dark blue and not the green she remembered putting on this morning. Glancing at her shirt, she saw that it too was blue, although lighter in color, and the collar was encircled by a thin, dark blue ribbon tied in a bow beneath her chin. Lifting herself slowly from off the floor, Kagome stared in wonderment at the dark blue knee high stockings and black leather shoes which completed her outfit.

Standing up made her aware of something else entirely unpleasant, her head throbbed mercilessly and reaching up she felt a bump developing on her left temple just inside the hairline. Her fingers touched something sticky and pulling them away, she was surprised to see they were smeared with blood. Shakily making her way across the room, she began to gingerly climb the stairs when a shadow fell across the door above her.

"Nee-chan, are you in here?" The voice was familiar, but sounded deeper than she remembered. Shielding her eyes against the bright sunlight filtering through the slatted door, she squinted to see if her suspicions were correct.

Dressed in a hunter green uniform jacket and matching slacks, the boy at the door was as tall as she was; his long, gangly legs and widening shoulders showing the first signs of an emerging teenager. His chiding brown eyes were unmistakable though as Souta looked down at her with a wry grin on his face. "What are you doing down there, sis? You know Mom hates it when you come in here. Grandpa still gets palpitations when he even thinks about that time you nearly fell into the well."

Nearly fell into the well? The pounding in Kagome's head intensified as she tried to make sense of that. Didn't Souta remember that she went into the well all the time? That she had been traveling back and forth in time for nearly a year to put the Shikon no Tama back together? Didn't he remember Inuyasha and all the times he had come to drag her back to hunt for jewel shards? Swaying slightly from the effort of concentrating, she wondered what in the world was going on.

The teasing look on his face turned serious when he spied the blood slowly trickling down her cheek. Eyes widening, he raced down the stairs towards her. "Damn Kagome, did you hit your head? Are you all right?"

Raising her bewildered gaze to meet his, Kagome finally found her voice. "Souta, what happened? How did I get here? Did Inuyasha bring me back? What's going on?"

A queer expression flittered across Souta's features before he schooled them back into one of concern. Ignoring her questions, he gently prodded the knot on her head, clicking his tongue as he inspected the damage. "You don't appear to have cut yourself too deeply, but Mom is going to pitch a fit when she sees the blood on your shirt."

Grabbing the front of his uniform, Kagome narrowed her eyes angrily as she demanded. "Damn it, Souta, answer me. What happened? How did I get here? Where's Inuyasha? Where's the Shikon no Tama?"

That weird look appeared again and this time, Kagome recognized it. It was fear. His hands pushing at her shoulders, she reluctantly released her brother's jacket. Raking his fingers through his shaggy brown hair, he sighed heavily before he said. "Kagome, none of that ever happened."


	2. Altering Fate

**Disclaimer:** Possession is nine tenths of the law; the other tenth is protected by copyright.

**Author Notes:** A million thanks to Cold Demon Lord, sami and wufeicustom (_::big hug::_ Wah! I've missed hearing from you!) for their reviews and my apologies that it has taken so long to post the second chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

_**

* * *

Last Time: **_

_Grabbing the front of his uniform, Kagome narrowed her eyes angrily as she demanded. "Damn it, Souta, answer me. What happened? How did I get here? Where's Inuyasha? Where's the Shikon no Tama?"_

_That weird look appeared again and this time, Kagome recognized it. It was fear. His hands pushing at her shoulders, she reluctantly released her brother's jacket. Raking his fingers through his shaggy brown hair, he sighed heavily before he said. "Kagome, none of that ever happened."_

_**

* * *

Paradox **_

_**Chapter 2: Altering Fate**_

* * *

Stumbling backwards, her back slamming painfully into the stair railing, Kagome shook her head slowly, not believing what she was hearing. Doubt colored her words as she uneasily said. "That's impossible, Souta. Of course, it all happened. I was there. And you met Inuyasha, too. Don't you remember?" 

Reaching out to prevent her from falling down the stairs, Souta tried to reassure her. "It's all right, sis, don't worry about that now. You might have a slight concussion though, so let's get you into the house and let Mom have a look at your head. "

Slapping his hand away, Kagome glared at him accusingly. "Don't patronize me. I know the truth. You were here when I fell down the well. For Kami's sake Souta, that was barely a year ago, on my fifteenth birthday. How come you don't remember?"

His face blanching at her remarks, Souta could only stare incredulously at his sister as he said. "Kagome, you're going to be eighteen next month. Your fifteenth birthday was nearly three years ago."

Losing her balance as the implications of what her brother said struck her head on, Kagome's foot slipped on the stairs and she would have tumbled down them if Souta hadn't reflexively grabbed her arm. The color completely drained from her face, she gazed wide-eyed at him as she stuttered. "Three years? Nearly three years?"

She never heard his answer though as the world spun crazily around her and Kagome once again fell into a yawning dark void as she lost consciousness.

* * *

She woke up some time later, her head aching fiercely and a thick, unpleasant taste coating the inside of her mouth. Her eyes felt swollen, the lids extremely heavy, while the left side of her face seemed partially numb. Carefully opening her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of two fluorescent bulbs hanging above her bed. As her other senses began working, she could smell the strong odor of disinfectant and bleach and surmised that she must be in the hospital. A quick glance to her right reaffirmed that assessment as she noted the white curtains screening her off from the rest of the world. 

A stray hair was tickling the corner of her mouth and when Kagome reached up to brush it aside, she was met with another startling discovery. Her arm would rise only so far before a soft cuff around her wrist prevented any further movement. Testing each of her limbs in succession, she found that her arms and legs were strapped to the bed, allowing for only a minimal amount of movement. From her current position on her back, she couldn't roll any further than a couple of inches to each side. Groaning with frustration at being tied down as if she were some mental patient, she irritably flopped on the bed like a beached fish until a nurse came to check and see what all the commotion was about.

Drawing back the curtain with a reproving click of her tongue, the young woman scolded. "Miss Higurashi, you must try to remain calm. That's a pretty nasty bump on your head and you don't want to tear your stitches fidgeting around like that."

Since all that flopping was only making her head hurt worse anyway, Kagome exhaled noisily in defeat as she stilled and allowed the nurse to fussily adjust the rumpled covers around her again. When she finished, the woman smiled brightly and turned to leave when Kagome stopped her with a couple of anxious questions. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

As if delighted to be of further assistance, the nurse chirped brightly. "This is Tokyo General Hospital. Your mother and brother brought you in last night after you fell down some stairs and hit your head. You were obviously suffering from a concussion which had also made you slightly delusional."

"Delusional?" Worry creasing her brow, Kagome hesitantly asked. "Ano, what do you mean?"

Adopting a professional stance, the overly enthusiastic woman sobered, her voice sounding like she was repeating the exact words she had heard from a doctor. "It's not common, but sometimes patients experiencing trauma to the head can become irrational and may exhibit symptoms of schizophrenic behavior brought on by swelling to the brain. I believe they gave you a mild sedative which may be why you're having trouble remembering."

As she listened to the crisp, clinical explanation, Kagome could only stare at the nurse in numbed shock; the words _irrational_, _schizophrenic_, and _sedative _echoing loudly through her hazy consciousness. The throbbing in her head increasing exponentially, Kagome desperately wanted to massage her temples to ease the tight band of tension, expect her hands were again brought up short by the soft, resilient straps circling her wrists. With growing horror, she realized that the doctors must have thought she _was_ crazy.

Caught up in her worried thoughts she had tuned out the nurse's incessant chattering, but was sharply reminded of her presence when the woman said. "…and you kept ranting and raving that you needed to find something or someone right away."

Her attention instantly snapping back to the nurse, Kagome tersely asked. "Find who or what? What exactly did I say?"

Looking a bit startled by such direct, nearly growled questions, the annoyingly cheery woman stopped mid-ramble, her face darkening in concentration before suddenly brightening again. "Ah, they probably wrote it on your chart. The doctor who treated you, Dr. Honda, is usually very thorough in his notes. Let me check."

Pulling a clipboard from a hook on the wall beside her, the nurse flipped through several pages before finding the information she was looking for. "Ah, here we are. You were looking for someone called Inuyasha'."

A sly grin completely altered her features, casting an almost sinister air to her demeanor as she chuckled. "Inuyasha, huh? Is that your boyfriend's nickname?"

The strange look the nurse was giving her frightened Kagome and she sank fearfully back into her bed to try and put some distance between them. It vaguely reminded her of the evil grin Naraku would wear; the startling resemblance sending a cold shiver chasing down her spine. Seeing that the nurse was waiting expectantly for her to answer, Kagome said the first thing that came to mind. "Um, yeah, something like that."

The sinister grin fading to be replaced by her cheery smile, the woman cheekily told her. "Better hang on to him, honey. Guy with a cool nickname like that has got to be worth keeping." The accompanying, conspiratorial wink that went along with that advice set Kagome's nerves on edge; leaving her anxiously wondering if she was trapped in some surreal nightmare. Unfortunately, the lingering headache coupled with an occasional wave of nausea was far too realistic and far from reassuring.

With wary eyes, Kagome watched the nurse bustle about for a few more minutes; replying in the negative when asked if she needed anything and nearly sighing in relief when the unusual woman finally left, tugging the curtains back into place with a parting grin. Snuggling deeper beneath the crisply starched sheets, she felt oddly safer now that she was alone again in her white shrouded cubicle.

* * *

Once Dr. Honda had given Kagome the all clear, her mother and brother came to pick her up later that afternoon. Seeing her mother for the first time since this fiasco had started, Kagome was shocked by how much older she looked. Her dark brown hair was now liberally peppered with gray and wrinkles had formed at the corners of her eyes and around her mouth. She must have gained around fifteen pounds as well, her formerly svelte figure having passed into a middle aged softness. Dressed conservatively in a dark brown skirt suit, she had a briefcase in one hand and a telephone in the other into which she was speaking with a clipped, brisk tone as she rapidly strode down the hallway, leaving a bewildered Kagome and a subdued Souta to stumble along in her wake. 

A short time later, they entered the train station across from the hospital and her mother closed her phone with a tiny snap before gracing Kagome with an annoyed expression as she huffed. "Kagome, I want you to stay out of the well house from now on. The fact that I have to tell my daughter who is nearly eighteen to stop playing in a dirty, old building is something that I have trouble comprehending. Your grandfather has been beside himself with worry ever since Souta brought you back to the house unconscious, covered in dirt and blood dripping from that gash on your head."

Pausing momentarily in her tirade to tiredly massage the sharply creased skin between her eyebrows, she brusquely continued, her mouth drawn into a tight line. "I swear, young lady, I will not have you upsetting him any more. His heart cannot take this much stress, so, you will stay out of the well house from now on. Is that clear?"

Of course, the question was rhetorical, as there was really only one answer her mother was expecting, but Kagome nodded her head anyway to show that she was listening. Seeing a side of her mother she had never seen before, Kagome was in awe at how authoritative she was. She remembered her mother as being very mellow and easy going, rarely raising her voice for any reason; but just now, she had snapped like a drill sergeant, her sentences rapid firing from her mouth as her voice steadily increased in both volume and pitch. By the time she had finished, she was close to screeching and several people had turned their heads to see what was going on.

Kagome had the intelligence to appear properly abashed by the lecture and her blush of embarrassment was definitely not faked; she had spied a couple of young men in their early twenties snickering at her public dressing down. Directing a hard glare at their smirking faces, she would have also liked to have given them a piece of her mind, telling them to mind their own business, but their train had arrived and her mother was shuttling Souta and her swiftly onto it as if not trusting to let them out of her sight for a second. Sandwiched uncomfortably between her parent and younger sibling like a naughty child, Kagome barely had enough time to grab the handrail above her as the commuter train departed the station a few moments later. They had a long ride before they reached their stop and Kagome used the time to reflect on everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours.

Yesterday morning, she had awoken from a pleasant sleep in a beautiful, green forest surrounded by her dearest friends. Their lives had been blissfully uneventful since they had defeated Naraku and everyone was quietly relishing the sense of freedom they had been afforded. While they traveled at a more leisurely pace; for once not in any real hurry or plagued by any unwelcome distractions, the odd group was nevertheless quickly reaching their destination. For Kagome this newfound peace had been like a double edged sword, she was glad she no longer had the responsibility of reassembling the Shikon no Tama, but at the same time, she had gained the unpleasant burden of eventually having to leave her friends and return home.

So, as they broke camp that morning, it was with a heavy heart and mixed emotions that Kagome had one last private chat with Sango as they sat together on her sleeping bag while repacking her enormous yellow backpack. After several moments of uncomfortable fidgeting and stammered half-finished sentences, the taijiya had shyly blurted out that she was foolishly in love with a certain perverted monk though she was terrified to admit her true feelings to him. Thrilled that her assumptions had been right and in an effort to reassure her friend, Kagome had explained that she was pretty sure Miroku felt the same way; bringing a delightful blush to the young woman's cheeks. For a few blissful minutes, they had indulged in fits of girlish giggles, laughingly recounting the various instances where the wayward monk had incurred the taijiya's jealous wrath.

Thankfully, neither had broached the subject of Kagome's relationship with a certain dog-eared hanyou and as their animated chatter eventually wound down, the lighthearted mood had turned somewhat solemn. With a wealth of emotions rarely seen on the youkai exterminator's features, Sango had quietly told her long-time companion how she had come to think of Kagome as a her sister and that no matter where either of them ended up that would never change. Touched by the older woman's heartfelt pledge as she shared similar sentiments, Kagome had tearfully vowed that she too would always remember Sango as her sister and promised to never forget the bond they shared. A bond that was stronger than blood. The pact between soul sisters complete, the two had hugged and cried a bit before laughing at their sappy behavior while resolutely wiping away their tears.

Kagome's mood had been somewhat brightened by her talk with the taijiya and later that day; it had been further buoyed when Miroku had approached her as they stopped for a brief rest and to drink some water from a nearby stream. His boyishly handsome face split by a wide grin, he had determinedly dropped to one knee, teasingly petitioning her to bear his child. Her lips curving into a wistful smile at his antics, Kagome had calmly thwacked him on the head. The familiar reaction was symbolic rather than meant to hurt; drawing a light-hearted chuckle from the grinning houshi. Gesturing for her to take a seat next to him on the small outcropping of rocks, they had reminisced about their various adventures; marveling how a profound trust had blossomed between them despite their relationship getting off to a slightly shaky start.

Eventually, they had reached a point where words were no longer needed and a comfortable silence had settled between them. With some hesitancy, Miroku had raised his concerns about Sango, promising that he would do everything in his power to help her and would ensure that she was taken care of for as long as the taijiya needed. Kagome had not missed the hopeful note in his voice and knew that if Sango would consent to his proposal, Miroku would marry her in an instant. Putting on her most stern face, she bluntly told her friend that if he didn't get Sango to marry him, she would come back just to whack him for his stupidity since Sango was already hopelessly in love with him. That news had cheered him to no end and he had spent the rest of the day with a wide, silly grin plastered across his face.

Arriving within the boundaries of Kaede's village, Kagome had experienced a unique sense of completion. Shippo had latched onto her the moment Inuyasha had set her back on her feet and had insisted on sitting in her lap throughout lunch. His clinging behavior would undoubtedly make their eventual separation more difficult, but Kagome hadn't been able to find it in her heart to deny him this last bit of time together. Aside from Inuyasha and Kaede, she had known him the longest out of all her companions and he would have the hardest time adjusting to her leaving. She knew the fox demon sometimes saw her as a replacement for his own mother, but as much as Kagome wished she could take the little kitsune with her and continue to care for him, it was impossible.

Drawing him aside as the others were finishing their meal, Kagome had tugged a small packet from the confines of her pack and handed it to the young kitsune. Inside was a picture of all of them: Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo and her standing outside Kaede's hut. It had been taken a few days before they set out to finish off Naraku and everyone had been smiling and laughing as Kaede grumbled over how complicated the camera was to work. They had snapped many pictures that day, but this was the best of the bunch and Kagome had lovingly framed it in a wooden frame wreathed with little foxes. Shippo had gasped in delight at the gift and nearly strangled her as he hugged her tightly.

Jostled from her musings by the sudden lurch of the train, Kagome hugged herself lightly in consolation, the memories warming her against the chill of loneliness. She missed them already and despite the debacle of professing her love to him, she missed Inuyasha most of all. Smiling to herself, she replayed her memories of him one by one, delighting in those precious moments where they had ceased to be hanyou and miko and had become simply a man and a woman sharing their experiences with each other. Wrapping herself tightly in their comforting embrace, she felt that as long as she had these, her heart could find some peace.

* * *

Her grandfather greeted them at the door and Kagome couldn't help wincing at his emaciated appearance. The hale, hearty old man she remembered was nothing more than a shadow of his former sprightly image. His eyes were sunken and hollow looking, his skin almost paper thin and stretched painfully tight over brittle bones. Hobbling up to the door, he smiled a gap toothed grin as he ushered her into the house ahead of him. 

"Ah, Kagome, are you better now?" His voice was strained and wheezy sounding as if he had trouble getting enough oxygen to speak. Pushing her towards the sofa in the living room, he sank heavily into his favorite arm chair, his joints cracking so loudly in the process that Kagome worried he might have hurt himself.

Souta and her mother were conspicuously absent and Kagome had to wonder if they hadn't abandoned her in retribution for foolishly injuring herself. Her grandfather continued to grin widely, nodding his head repeatedly so that he began to resemble one of those toy birds you could clip onto the rim of a glass and when you tip them forward they continuously bob their heads. It was unnerving to watch and Kagome had to fix her gaze elsewhere before she could gather enough of her wits to speak. "Uh, yes, grandpa, I'm okay. I have to get the stitches out next week, but the doctor said I would be fine."

Sparing him a glance, she noticed that his head was still bobbing with frightening regularity and she briefly considered reaching out a hand to stop him when he suddenly sat bolt upright, nearly drawing a scream of fright from Kagome in the process. His eyes darkening and his gaze turning intense, he solemnly asked. "Kagome, did you find Inuyasha?"

Completely surprised by the question, Kagome thought she might have been hearing things until her grandfather furrowed his brow thoughtfully and said. "You need to find the Shikon no Tama as well. There isn't much time to right this wrong."

Flabbergasted, Kagome gaped at her grandfather in shock, not knowing how to respond. Her head started throbbing again and when she rubbed her forehead to ease the tension knotting along her brow, her grandfather coughed once before his expression returned to normal. At least as normal as Kagome could guess, judging from how he looked a few minutes earlier. The gap toothed grin returned as well and he managed to slowly tug himself up out of his chair as he called to Kagome's mother. "Atsuko, have you finished making the tea yet? I need something warm to loosen up these aching joints of mine."

Watching him leave with wide eyes, she could only stare mutely as she tried to make sense of his outburst. For her grandfather to suddenly ask about not only Inuyasha and the Shikon no Tama when Souta had clearly informed her that she had never fallen down the well made absolutely no sense. Sure, her grandfather was rather eccentric at times, but she had never known him to act so strangely. Could he have somehow grown delusional in his old age, she wondered.

And what in the world he had meant by righting some wrong?

* * *

After supper, Kagome ensconced herself in her room at her mother's direction to complete the homework she had missed at school. Sitting at her old desk, her pencil flew across the page and she was amazed at how easily she managed to work her way through various advanced calculus and physics problems. She had excelled at neither before and was unable to explain her sudden affinity for these difficult subjects. Even more puzzling was that her textbooks were for a third year high school student at Eitoku Academy, which meant that not only had she somehow managed to pass her high school entrance exams, but her scores had been high enough to land her a place in the most elite school in the prefecture. Only the top ninety-eighth percentile were considered for admission into Eitoku and for her to have been accepted, she must have had near perfect score results to counterbalance her frequent absences during her last year of middle school. 

The soft rap on her door turned out to be Souta who shuffled into her room with Buyo close on his heels. Kagome was desperately trying to come to grips with the fact that her little brother wasn't so little anymore. She was irked that had he grown so tall in such a short span of time, but what really annoyed her was that at thirteen, he was already a good inch and a half taller than her. His boyish face was beginning to mature as well and there was no mistaking the strong resemblance he was developing towards their father complete with the trademark chocolate colored eyes and hair, a defining characteristic of all Higurashi men.

On the other hand, Kagome's features were more closely related to her mother's, but her hair and eyes belonged solely to her mother's mother. Her grandmother Midori had been rumored to be a wonderfully beautiful woman with jet black hair and brilliant sapphire blue eyes flecked with silver and that Kagome had inherited these particular traits had been her mother's ultimate delight. The women in Atsuko's family were rarely very tall and Atsuko had been one of the few exceptions to the rule, attaining a statuesque five feet eight inches. Kagome was an average five feet five inches which shrank to five four when she took off her shoes.

Plopping down on the bed behind her desk, Souta chuckled as Buyo took a playful swat at the cuff on Kagome's flannel pajama pants. Setting her pencil down, she swiveled the chair around to face her younger sibling and find out what it was he obviously wanted from her. She didn't mind the interruption, she had needed a break, but she had a sinking suspicion that he was checking up on her. "So, did Mom send you to spy on me and make sure I was studying or was there something else on your mind?"

Considering her question a tad longer than Kagome's patience considered necessary, she glowered at him when he didn't immediately reply. Tapping her foot to emphasize her point, she quipped. "Look, I've got a ton of homework, so if you don't want something, then how about we try this brother sister bonding another time, kay?"

She was about to whirl back around when his quiet question startled her. "Why did you ask about Inuyasha again?"

Now that he had her full attention, Kagome couldn't miss the concern painfully etched across his youthful countenance. Souta was regarding her as if he worried about her sanity and his wary gaze left her wondering what could have caused him to be so frightened for her. Affecting as soothing a tone as possible, she ventured. "I don't understand why my asking about Inuyasha bothers you so much. Could you maybe explain it to me?"

Seeing the genuine confusion in her eyes, Souta relaxed a little as he thought of the best way to broach this topic. Figuring the most reasonable approach would be to just lay everything out at once, he began speaking. "On the morning of your fifteenth birthday, you and I went into the well house looking for Buyo. I didn't want to go down to get him, so you said that you would. As you reached the bottom of the steps, you just stood there staring at the well until Buyo came up and rubbed against your leg. He scared the crap out of you and you jumped and screamed, tripping over the cat and nearly fell into the well. Fortunately, you didn't, but you cracked your head really hard on edge before you hit the ground. It knocked you out cold and you were unconscious for nearly a week. When you finally woke up, you started spouting all this nonsense about going to the Sengoku Jidai and traveling with this inu-hanyou to find the pieces of some mystical jewel."

Kagome whispered. "Inuyasha and the Shikon no Tama."

"Yeah, right. Well, Mom was worried sick that you might have brain damage and Grandpa kept saying that you had gotten a story he told you the night before all mixed up in your head and thought it was real."

He avoided meeting her eyes as Kagome asked. "Story? What story?"

Shoving his hand into his thick hair and tugging slightly in a gesture Kagome was beginning to recognize as frustration, Souta explained. "The one he was using to sell those trinket key chains with the little marbles on the end. The replicas of the famous Shikon no Tama'." He added the quotes with a brief gesture of his fingers. "Grandpa believed that you had taken his embellished legend seriously and thought you were the reincarnation of the miko in the story. Then you recklessly go into the well house to look for Buyo, even though we've been told a thousand times to never go there, and nearly kill yourself when you fall and hit your head. He cried for weeks about it, thinking that he had somehow inadvertently brought about your accident."

Mulling this information over in her head, Kagome could make some sense of what her brother was saying, but one thing it didn't explain was how she had gotten the jagged scar on her left side just below her ribcage. When she had taken her bath this evening, she was surprised to find the scar as she shouldn't have it if she never fell into the well. The wound had been caused by the centipede woman who had attacked her, looking for the Shikon no Tama Kagome unknowingly carried inside her body. Lifting the edge of her pajama top to expose her belly to her brother's gaze, she asked. "Okay, so where did I get this scar?"

Fixing his sister with an exasperated look that clearly said she should know already, he sarcastically replied. "That happened about three years ago when you crashed your bike coming back from school and nearly impaled yourself on Mrs. Kirasawa's picket fence."

Kagome's head was spinning by the time Souta finished, her confusion intensifying as he handily shot down both means of proof she had for verifying her story. If her brother's explanations were the truth, she really hadn't been in the Segoku Jidai nor had she spent almost a year searching for fragments of the Shikon no Tama along with Inuyasha and her other companions. But, no matter how believable her brother sounded, she could never accept that it had all been just a dream. Her memories and the emotions which were tied to them were too powerful to be some fantasy she had concocted in her head.

There was only one way she could think of to clear this whole mess up. She had to find Inuyasha. Fast.

* * *

A lone figure moved silently through the early morning streets, his long, black leather coat flapping around his legs as he briskly walked towards his destination. On his right hand, a light blue rosary was wound around his palm and wrist, contrasting sharply with the dark color of his fingerless arm covering anchored by two silver rings around his middle finger. Shoulder length black hair was tied back in a low tail at the base of his neck with a strip of leather, leaving only a few short strands to hang in front of his piercing violet eyes. Rounding another corner, he strode with necessary haste, anxious to verify or disprove this new lead as soon as possible. 

Miroku had given the latest rumor hardly any credence when he first heard it, but there was just enough corroboration from their sources that it merited further investigation before he completely dismissed it. The girl he was going to see lived at a small shrine near the Shinjuku prefecture and it was whispered that she had some miko capabilities. In the past such rumors were grossly exaggerated, but this one appeared credible as it had attracted more than its fair share of interest from less desirable quarters. Youkai were also greatly intrigued by this supposed miko and it seemed they were going to try and get to her first. It was this which prompted him to increase his pace even further as he began to detect a large amount of youki gathering ahead of him.

"Just great," he mumbled, not exactly looking forward to an early morning workout.

He had spent the last three nights combing the streets for more clues which would help them locate Kagome, but so far he had only turned up a couple of dead ends and quite a few youkai who were intent on putting a stop to his research. Tired, hungry and more than a little pissed off, Miroku was the last person these youkai wanted to run into.

Mounting the short flight of stairs, it seemed that every shrine they went to anymore had stairs leading up to it, he entered the courtyard as three youkai materialized between him and the main building. Deciding that he wasn't even going to bother calling out a warning if they were too stupid to sense his presence, he calmly removed the rosary from his right hand and opened the kazaana. Their terrified screeches were the last sound the youkai made as they swiftly disappeared into the air void. Carefully resealing his hand, the monk scanned the surrounding area for any more youki and was relieved to sense nothing in that respect, although he did sense something else.

A young woman was watching him from the upper story of the tidy little house beside the main shrine and when he waved his hand in greeting, she offered him a shy wave in return. She was obviously the miko' everyone had been talking about, but Miroku immediately noted that she was not the one he was looking for. The sun reflected off of her short blond hair and even from this distance, he could tell that her eyes were a rich, coffee brown, not the steely blue-gray he had been hoping to find.

Waving again in farewell, he turned swiftly on his heel and headed down the steps and back towards his apartment where he was going to take a much needed shower before sleeping the rest of the day away. Pulling his phone from the pocket of his jacket, he quickly punched a number and waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

* * *

Pacing the floor of their neatly ordered kitchen, Sango waited anxiously for Miroku to get home so he could tell her about the miko he was investigating. Neither of them had suspected that it would be Kagome, but they weren't willing to risk the chance that it might be her. They had thought that finding a true miko in Tokyo shouldn't have been all that hard, but they hadn't counted on the sheer number of people they would be sifting through nor how many people would profess to having spiritual power then turn out to be either crackpots or conmen. But Kagome, well, she had been the real thing with a power that had not been seen since the days of the great miko, Midoriko. 

For five centuries, they had been searching for their friend. Five hundred years had passed with agonizing slowness as they waited for the time they could begin their search in earnest. That time was now the present and for almost three years; they had been to one shrine after another looking for clues about either the Shikon no Tama or Kagome. About the same time they started looking, a fad had developed at several of the shrines and many of them began stocking imitations of the mystical jewel as good luck charms. With the sudden renewed interest in the Shikon legend, Sango had believed that this might aid their search, but not a single solid lead had been generated to help them locate Kagome.

Turning to cross the kitchen again, Sango abruptly stopped when she heard a key scrape in the lock. Sprinting towards the front door, she slammed into Miroku as he let himself in, nearly knocking them both to the floor in the process. Planting a swift, sweet kiss on his lips, she then proceeded to grill him for information. "So, did you find her? Did any youkai attack? Was it Kagome?"

Thrown off balance by his wife's delightful welcome before she instantly switched gears and left him dazed by her questions, Miroku unzipped his floor length coat and hung it up by the door before favoring Sango's queries with his replies. "Yes, I found her. Yes, there were three youkai, all easily dispatched."

His gut tightened as he prepared himself to let Sango down as gently as possible. "And no, it wasn't Kagome."

"Oh," was all Sango said in response, her hands unconsciously coming up to fist in the front of his t-shirt. Laying her head against his chest, she whispered. "We'll find her next time, won't we?"

His arms wrapping around her in a comforting embrace, Miroku made the same promise he had broken only half an hour earlier. "Yeah, sweetheart. Next time, we definitely will."

Cupping his hand beneath her chin, he lifted her head so that he could stare into her beautiful brown eyes as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips to seal his promise. Sango allowed her hands to slide up his chest to his shoulders and she leaned into the kiss, her body molding to his as she delicately licked at his bottom lip with her tongue. Their lips parted on a sigh and he took the opportunity to tangle his tongue with hers as his hands slid from her back downwards to cup the soft curves of her buttocks. As if he couldn't help himself, he gave one cheek a teasing pinch which had Sango drawing back from him to fix him with a mock glare as she quipped. "Hentai."

A slow, wicked grin spread across Miroku's face as he laughingly scooped her up in his arms, playfully warning. "You have no idea how much, but I'll be happy to show you."

* * *

Switching off the speaker phone on his desk, Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair as Miroku's latest report offered no immediate solution to their current dilemma. 

For reasons as yet undetermined, each of their intended fates had been gravely altered following the miko's wish on the Shikon no Tama. Whether it was the wish itself or the fact that she had broken the rules of time by traveling five hundred years into the past, he couldn't say for certain, but there was no denying that all of their lives had been changed that sunny afternoon. Awash in the soothing glow of the jewel's pure power, he had felt the fabric of time shift around him and was stunned when the light receded to reveal that the miko had disappeared.

At that point, Inuyasha had leapt crazily into the well claiming that he would check with her family to see if she was all right. Sesshoumaru had barely contained his laughter when his idiot brother landed with a resounding thud and a string of curses on the hard packed earth below although the wolf demon had no qualms about chuckling heartily at the hanyou's expense. Surprisingly the kitsune had come to Inuyasha's defense, proclaiming that the well was magical and that Kagome had used it to travel back and forth between the Sengoku Jidai and the future some five hundred years distant. Both the monk and the taijiya had looked horrified at the young fox demon's accounting for Inuyasha's bizarre behavior which convinced Sesshoumaru that there was apparently some truth to the wild tale.

His convictions grew as from that moment onwards he had witnessed indescribable changes in the world around him while he remained relatively untouched by the passage of time. He later learned that Inuyasha, the monk, the taijiya, and the wolf demon were similarly affected, years flowing by them like minutes in a day and none of them aging more than five years in the end. Only the kitsune had significantly changed, growing from a kit to an adult, but he too stopped maturing when he appeared around twenty human years in age.

This brought him back to their ongoing concern that Kagome's life must also have been altered and if it had, they might very well be looking for a tiny needle in an enormous haystack. However, he refused to think such pessimistic thoughts when more rumors were surfacing daily. When it was known that someone was looking for something or someone, rumors had a habit of making themselves appear with frightening regularity. Pandering to that simple formula, they had cast their net far and wide, eliciting responses from as far away as Okinawa. Of course, most of them had been nothing more than smoke and mirrors, but one or two proved credible enough to warrant further inquiry, such as the one he had just received.

Sesshoumaru grudgingly acknowledged that he owed most of the credit for sourcing this lead to Shippo who had spent the last week researching night and day a fresh tip they had about a young woman admitted to Tokyo General Hospital suffering from a concussion. Finally, this morning, over a cup of coffee a cute redhead had sweetly offered to buy while he waited for his friend to be treated, an emergency room nurse had eagerly spilled a story she had heard from her friend on the day shift about a cool nickname.

The nickname had been 'Inuyasha'.

* * *

The sound of a ringing telephone shrilled painfully loud in Inuyasha's sensitive ears prompting him to bury his head further under his pillow. He was exhausted and there was no way in hell he was going to get out of bed before the sun had barely risen over the horizon. As the phone continued to ring unabated, he finally tossed the covers aside and snatched up the receiver, barking into the mouthpiece. "Whoever the fuck this is, you better have a damned good reason for waking me up or I'm going to kill you." 

"Good morning to you, too, Inuyasha." His brother's dry voice sounded on the other end of the line, a note of humor discernable in his otherwise flat tone.

Wiping ineffectively at his sleep filled eyes, Inuyasha yawned loudly before he said. "Shit, Sesshoumaru, what do you want and couldn't it have waited until later, say five this afternoon?"

He could almost hear his brother rolling his eyes in disgust at that suggestion. Whenever 'Sesshoumaru-sama' wanted to tell you something, he wanted to tell you right now. After five hundred years of putting up with this odd quirk in his brother's behavior, Inuyasha had learned to accept that nothing he said or did was going to alter Sesshoumaru's unpleasant habit of annoying you at any given hour of the day to tell you exactly what was on his mind. And of course, today had proven to be no exception; however, for once, Inuyasha actually wanted to hear what he had to say. "We may have found a positive lead about Kagome."

At the mention of her name, Inuyasha's mouth grew incredibly dry and he had trouble asking. "Are you sure this time it could be her?"

"Shippo gained the information from a very reliable source and there are three other witnesses who will substantiate it if necessary."

Hardly daring to believe what his brother was saying, the hanyou croaked. "When are you going to confirm?"

The response was crisp and professional, as if his brother was discussing something as mundane as the weather rather than the possibility that their five hundred year wait was coming to an end. "Miroku and Sango will scope out the shrine this afternoon and get a visual ID. After that, it's up to you."

"Right, give me the address where I'm supposed to meet them." Quickly memorizing the details, Inuyasha quietly replaced the phone on the receiver. Lying back on his bed, his mind was a hazy flood of conflicting thoughts and emotions.

After all this time, was he finally going to see her again? He didn't want to risk believing that it might be true. How many times had he gotten his hopes up only for them to be dashed when they soon realized that the young woman they had found wasn't Kagome. Naturally, all of this could have been easily resolved if he could remember the location of the shrine, her school or any of the shops or restaurants she had visited with him, but the wish had erased every single one of his memories of modern Tokyo.

In fact, the only description any of them were able to provide about the girl they were searching for was that she had black, slightly wavy hair, blue-gray eyes and her name was Kagome. Even if she had cut her hair or dyed it, the name was distinctive enough to narrow their search; however, most of their leads didn't include the name so they would have to physically check each one. Some more information certainly would have been helpful, particularly her surname, but none of them could recall what it had been and they were left with only the information at hand. Actually, Inuyasha could have added to that her unique, delicate scent, but humans didn't have the enhanced senses of a youkai to be able to discern something so intimately Kagome's.

Wide awake now, he shoved the sheets and blankets out of his way as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Padding across the thick, plush carpet lining the floor, he headed into the bathroom deciding that since he was up, he might as well take a shower and get ready. Turning on the knobs and adjusting the temperature, he considered an alternative plan to the one Sesshoumaru had discussed.

He'd call Sango and Miroku's place when he was finished to see if they wanted to go out for breakfast and then the three of them could meander over to the shrine and check things out. Since it was Sunday, it really didn't matter what time they got there as the shrines were usually open most of the day and they could drop by anytime, so long as there was sufficient light to see by. Satisfied with this new course of action, he shucked off the silk boxers he had slept in and stepped into the welcoming warm spray.

_**

* * *

Coming Soon: Chapter 3: A New Future Unfolds **_


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